Downsizing the family home: What you need to do

If you haven’t been living under a rock, then you most likely have heard about home downsizing. You’d be tempted to think that it refers to making the home smaller. Downsizing the family home actually means to say goodbye to the times that no longer have room in the house. In other words, you get rid of the excess baggage. Needless to say, every family should do this. Some items are worth keeping, while others aren’t. Regardless of whether you’re moving into a new place or staying in a small house, don’t waste any more time and downsize the right way. This is what you need to do.

Determine what you want to live with

Living in a small place is anything but easy, especially when you have a family. Somehow, you’ve managed to make it work. The children are all grown up now and it’s the perfect opportunity to part with the things that you’re not using. You spend most of your time at home and the last thing that you want is to run out of space. But how does one start the downsizing process? Well, a logical thing to do is to go through the house and make an inventory of your belongings. Itemize the possession in your home and determine what you can live without. Besides money, there are very few things that you can’t live without. While you may necessitate a cutting board and a mop, you’re perfectly fine without a whisk if you don’t like to bake.

It’s recommended to not rush the process. Take one room at a time, if you have numerous possessions. Just like you itemize stuff that you can live without, make a list of must-haves. The must-haves are the things that are crucial to your existence. Don’t you have any appliances worth including on the list? Chances are that you do. What you need to keep in mind is that it doesn’t matter whether the items are handy or they just have a sentimental value. If they must be in your home, then so be it. When you’re done documenting everything, put the belongings into a box and make sure to store them accordingly.

Don’t forget to use self-storage when downsizing

The likelihood is that you’ve used self-storage until now. The US self-storage industry has boomed in recent years, so customers like you enjoy competitive prices. Just as you used a public storage unit when moving home, you should use a public storage unit when downsizing the family home. The items that you’ve cleared away need a new home and a self-storage facility is the perfect place. What most people don’t realize, including you, is that a public storage unit provides sufficient room for all your belongings. The thing is that you can fit a bedroom’s worth of stuff. The storage facility can handle it.

When selecting a self-storage facility, look for one that cares for your belongings just as you do. This won’t be easy though. It’s not that public storage facilities aren’t reliable. It’s just that you have to make the right pick for you. The first thing you need to be sure of is the fact that the place is sanitized. There’s no way of knowing when you need to reuse the pieces and you don’t want them to be full of dust, or destroyed by critters. Equally important is to consider the size of the unit. As mentioned earlier, units are big enough to accommodate all kinds of belongings. But they come in different sizes. If you need a to accommodate items from, say, 2 rooms, then it’s a good idea to opt for a 10 x 10 unit. When you do drop off your things, make sure that you leave enough room to move around. Yet again, it may be necessary to retrieve the items later on.

Before bringing something into your home, think twice

Your mom told you not to talk to strangers. We bet she thought you that you should only acquire relevant things. If you really care about your space, then maybe you shouldn’t spend your money on knickknacks. They will only take up much-needed space and transform your house into something of poor taste. Is that really what you want? Of course, not. Your online purchases, as well as your regular ones, should be well-thought. Basically, you have to think if you really want or need the item/items in front of you. There are situations in life when it’s better to make compromises. It’s important for you to know when it’s necessary to make one.

If you really want to empty your pockets, you might as well invest in some antiques. Sure, the price is very high, but at least you’ll get your hands on something valuable. Plus, you can sell the pieces of art later and get more than what you paid for.